The Rush-Copley Family Medicine Residency Story
When Rush University and Copley Memorial Hospital first affiliated in the mid 1990s, planning for a Family Medicine Residency Program began and the first residents arrived in 1997.
Rush-Copley Family Medicine Center received significant local support when three family physicians donated their life’s work to the establishment of the residency clinic, moving their patients and office equipment to Rush-Copley. It was an exciting time as the hospital was newly built and the community looked forward to the tremendous resource the residency would be for serving the healthcare needs of its citizens. Today, it remains the only residency in the Kane County area.
The vision at the residency’s inception was based upon:
- An unopposed program in an ideal community setting
- The long tradition of family medicine educational Rush Medical College to enhance the academics of the community setting
- Creating a nurturing environment for the personal and professional growth of young physicians
This vision was fulfilled over that first decade with a total of 55 graduates who entered into a variety of practice settings such as traditional family medicine practice both with and without obstetrics, urgent care, emergency departments, and residency education. Fulfilling that vision continues today as the program adapts to the changes and advances in family medicine and the evolving healthcare system.